


The Ninth

by twilightHDfan



Category: The Eagle | Eagle of the Ninth (2011)
Genre: Detective!Marcus, Eagle Reverse Big Bang, M/M, Modern AU, PI!Esca, gang references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-29
Updated: 2012-10-29
Packaged: 2017-11-17 07:11:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilightHDfan/pseuds/twilightHDfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU. Esca’s a PI, a decent one, who just happens to have picked up two old time gangsters who’ve decided that their lot in ghostly life is to help Esca solve cases. They have their uses, sure, but it's really hard to explain the knowledge of all the gruesome details to Detective Aquila when he once again finds him at a crime scene.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ninth

**Author's Note:**

> So I can only hope that this story does justice to the awesome artwork that ladytiferet did. I absolutely loved it and the summary, so *fingers crossed* you like this as much :). Also big thanks to my beta arna12, who hadn't actually watched the movie until she read this, and then watched it so that she could understand the characters and then fell in love with the pairing! Any mistakes are probably from me adding things in after I got it back. And go check out the artwork! It's so awesome!

[Art Masterpost](http://ladytiferet.livejournal.com/26734.html) \- Lady Tiferet

 

 

Taking a drag from his cigarette, Esca watched as the incompetent assholes, who served as the city’s police force, completely contaminated the crime scene. It wasn’t the first time that he’d had to watch them completely screw up an investigation, and he knew it wasn’t going to be the last.

It did make his job harder though. Mr and Mrs Gallant had hired him to look into their son’s disappearance two days before, after realising the chances of the coppers actually solving anything was slim to none. And solving homicides were always that much harder, because the coppers usually sent in some overweight, balding detective who thought he knew everything, and got into Esca’s way.

“Bit nasty, really. Looks like the kid went a few rounds with someone who was better with their fists, what with them wearing knuckle dusters, then he was. Face all black and blue and broken, damn near unrecognisable. Wouldn’t mind knowing who did it to ‘im, probably one of ours.”

“He did get a few punches in though, could see the starting of swelling on his knuckles. And your lot wouldn’t know how to fight their way out of a paper bag. Definitely one of my lot.”

“Dream on, Bends. Shame really, kid could’ve been a good fighter if given the chance.”

“He had this tattoo on his left hand too, near the thumb and forefinger, looked kind of like a bird, maybe a hawk?”

“It was an eagle, Bends, seriously what’s wrong with your eye sight?”

“What’s wrong with my eye sight? Why don’t you come over here and I’ll show you how good my eye sight is.”

“Please, Bends, I’d have you flat on your back in two seconds flat.”

“Bring it on, Crofts.”

Esca ignored the two men standing beside him, simply kept looking straight ahead, as he leaned back against the car. He was glad he’d worn his navy coat over his jacket now, the night air nipping at his face.

His lack of interest didn’t stop the two men from talking though, the two going on about what they would do to the other, and Esca might have looked like he was ignoring them, but he still had half an ear listening to what they were saying. It wouldn’t be the first time that the two had helped him solve a case.

Edgar Crofton and Jimmy ‘Bends’ Benton had been ‘helping’ Esca ever since he’d taken a head first dive down a flight of stairs during one of his first cases. He’d been chasing a suspect, when another man had popped up, the two fighting before Esca had taken the fall. When he’d woken up, it had been to two men standing over him, the two of them dressed smartly in suits, their hair slicked back, as they argued over which gang Esca clearly belonged to.

When Esca had kindly told them to shut the hell up, and that he hadn’t belonged to either the Caledonian Boys or the Seals Gang, but rather the Brigantes, both men had stared down at him in shock.

“You can hear us?”

“You can see us?”

Since that day, Esca had managed to pick up two ghostly gangsters, who had informed him that they really had nothing better to do, so they might as well help out the last living son of the Brigantes gang. Even if he had turned snitch.

“Looks like the Night Jacks are here,” Bends said, Esca following his gaze and looking at the dark car that had pulled up.

He hoped it wasn’t Detective Placidus, remembering the last time they had met and how close he had come to punching the cop in the mouth, Placidus having the gall to say something about Esca’s father. But it was an older guy that got out of the car, Esca recognising him quickly as Detective Lutorius as he got out of the car, followed by the passenger side door opening to reveal broad shoulders, that Esca hadn’t seen for a few months.

He ignored the way his heart sped up as he took in the familiar broad shoulders, the neatly cropped hair, the elegant profile.

“Didn’t think we’d be seeing that Jack again anytime soon.”

“Didn’t he take a bullet to the leg?”

“Saved your hide didn’t he, Cunoval? Is he sending your ‘eart all a twitter? Your hero back by your side?”

Esca ignored the running commentary next to him, running his eyes over the man in front of him, taking in the slower movement as the detective shut the door, his face turning towards Esca. Their eyes met for a long moment, Esca feeling his breath catch, before he tore his eyes away, looking back over the crime scene.

He could feel Aquila’s eyes on him, but he refused to look back.

“He’s coming over.”

“Maybe he’s hoping for a kiss?”

“Cunoval, why am I even surprised?” Esca let himself stare at the scene in front of him for a moment longer, before turning and taking in Detective Aquila. The man really was a giant, all muscle and hard lines even after being off for three months. Exactly Esca’s type, except for the fact that he worked with the incompetent group that made his job so much harder.

“If he’s not surprised then why mention it?”

“It’s not like these dogs could figure out a crime if it bit them on the ass.”

“A client asked me to look into their son’s disappearance,” Esca said, cutting in over the two gangsters. He would really like to send a glare at the two, but it was something that Detectice Aquila would pick up on, one of the only coppers that Esca found did their job at least half decently.

Aquila snorted, shaking his head.

“Let me guess, he just happens to be our latest victim?” he asked.

“Latest?”

“Well, that sounds interesting.”

“Could be a racket going on.”

“Like back when your mob were doing that fighting ring?”

“Lot a money in that ring, and that was back then.”

Esca glanced back over the crime scene, mind running through some of the other cases that had crossed his desk. There had been at least a few cases of young, fit, healthy men going missing, he had noted it as something to look into later, but now, well, now he had a connection. And a head start on the coppers ruining his chances at solving this thing.

“What’s going through that head of yours?” Aquila’s question had Esca looking back over at the man, Esca frowning as his stomach tied itself up in knots. It was ridiculous, he’d never felt so out of control about someone before, and he hated that it was a copper that was making him feel this way. Although, said copper, had jumped in front of a bullet meant for Esca.

“I don’t think he actually wants to know what’s going on in your head, Cunoval.”

“Although it’s clear to see what you’re thinking from your face. Really, Cunoval, focus. Fighting ring, remember? You can day dream about his big strong arms later.”

“Nothing,” Esca said, clearing his throat and shaking his head. “Just wondering what a boy like that was doing out here to have his face smashed with knuckle dusters to the point he’s almost unrecognisable.”

Aquila stared at him for a moment, before shaking his head, his left thumb and forefinger pinching the bridge of his nose, the lighting throwing shadows on his arm so that it looked like there was a dark smudge on his hand leading up to the cuff of his jacket.

“And how do you know that’s what happened?” Aquila asked, sounding almost in pain. “Given you haven’t even seen the body yet?”

Esca shrugged, pulling his keys out as he took a step away from where he had been leaning against his car.

“I’m a Private Investigator, Aquila,” he replied. “It’s my job to work these things out. Especially given any crime scene is completely lacking in evidence once your blues show up and contaminate the scene. Do you think the eagle tattoo is relevant?”

Aquila actually made a small sound then, taking his hand away from his nose and staring at Esca with wide shocked eyes.

“What eagle tattoo?” he asked in a quiet voice, eyes now staring intensely at Esca, making shivers run down his spine.

“The one on his left hand. Seriously, what are these Jack’s problems? Can’t even see what’s right in front of their faces.”

“The one on his left hand,” Esca replied, rolling his eyes. “Don’t tell me you guys are now missing things that are right in front of your faces now?”

“And how do you know he has a tattoo on his hand?” Aquila asked, moving closer, their bodies almost touching. Lifting his head, Esca glared at the other man, he might think he was fairly good looking, but he wasn’t about to let the man try and intimidate him. He was a son of the Brigantes gang after all.

He was about to open his mouth when Aquila shook his head, hand cutting through the air to stop him from speaking.

“You know what, forget it, how do you ever know the things you do?” he said, eye flicking over Esca. “If I didn’t know better I might think that you were doing the crimes.”

Snorting, Esca rolled his shoulders. The first few times his investigations had led him to crime scenes he had revelled in pointing out the things he knew to the incompetent bastards, thanks to the information from his two ghostly stalkers. Which had led to him being taken in for questioning, spending the night in a cell until they checked out his alibis.

The coppers had slowly, and reluctantly, come to the conclusion that Esca just somehow knew things, even though it irked them to do so and in turn made Esca enjoy those moments. However, Aquila’s statement had something raising a red flag in his mind.

_If I didn’t know better …_

Aquila knew something about the case already? Well, of course he did, the man was probably the only, and Esca hated to admit it, competent detective on the force.

“We could work together, you know,” Aquila continued, his stance relaxing, hand making a movement to his leg before aborting the motion. Even in the dim light, Esca couldn’t help but stare at the green eyes, his stomach once again flopping. Frowning, he shook his head.

“Yeah, work together and he’d take all the credit.”

“Coppers are good for nothing. Always in the way, even when we’re tryin’ to be good. They’re useless. World would be better without them.”

“I’ll see you around, Aquila,” Esca answered.

With that, Esca opened the door, climbing into his car and driving off, refusing to look back in the mirror to have one more glance at the man that he’d been trying to forget for months now.

 

Esca really shouldn’t have been surprised when the next case was also a young, twenty-something man that had disappeared from Hadrian’s Bar. After the Gallant case, he’d gone back to look over the files that had floated across his desk, that he’d handed onto PIs that he considered not completely incompetent, kicking himself when he realised that there were at least six cases that all seemed to match up.

Of those cases, four of the men had shown up dead, all seeming to have met the end of some brutal weapon that the mobs liked to use, all with the same eagle tattoo on their left hand.

He couldn’t believe the coppers still hadn’t worked as much as he had out yet, but then, they really were a joke. If his family were still in the business, Esca would’ve laughed at how easy it was for them to run circles around the fuzz.

“Cunoval.”

Looking up, Esca saw Bends and Crofton appear next to him, both men looking grim. He’d started to notice a pattern in the warehouses that were used, and adding what he had learnt when he was younger, he was pretty sure that he knew the next warehouse the gang would use.

“Find anything?” he asked, looking up at the dark building.

“Kid’s already a goner. This time it looks like he went a few rounds with a baseball bat.”

“It’s not pretty, Cunoval.”

Nodding, Esca looked around, the thought that he should call the cops flitting through his mind before he dismissed it again. If the coppers couldn’t figure anything out, he wasn’t going to help them ruin the leads he had. He’d have a look first, find the next piece in the puzzle, and then he’d let the coppers get involved. Moving quickly he walked into the warehouse, giving his eyes time to adjust to the lighting, before moving further in.

He could smell the sweat and blood as he moved in further, stomach turning a little when he finally came across the kid. He was completely unrecognisable, Esca moving around the body to see if there was anything there that could lead him closer to figuring out who was doing this. As with the previous men, the kid had the eagle tattoo on his left hand.

A creak had him pulling his gun, eyes flicking to the corners of the warehouse, before tracking along the balcony above him.

“It’s the Night Jack. Your knight in shining armour.”

Bends voice had Esca whipping around, gun in front of him, finger on the trigger twitching, before relaxing as his ghostly companions words caught up with him.

“He’s up in the top room,” Crofts added, appearing next to Bends.

“You didn’t think to check upstairs?” Esca hissed at them, eyes moving up to the single room he could see off the balcony.

“You asked to check for the body.”

“Which we did.”

“And to make sure there was no one around down here.”

“Which we also did.”

“So maybe be a bit grateful, you know?”

“Yeah. Here we are, spending our ghostly eternity helping you out and this is the thanks we get?”

Rolling his eyes, Esca moved past the two ghosts, who continued to discuss his lack of gratitude, and made his way slowly up the stairs and along the balcony. The door to the room was already slightly open and he could see Aquila at the beat up desk, ruffling through some of the papers that had been abandoned there.

“You often skulk around abandoned warehouses, Aquila?”

Esca’s question had a gun being pointed into his face seconds later, the cold, calm, calculated look on the Detective’s face sending a thrill through Esca, even though he could have been seconds away from having his face rearranged.

“Ooh, the Jack knows how to handle a gun.”

“Good news for you, huh, Cunoval?”

“Cunoval?” Aquila asked, face changing to the one Esca knew, soft and inviting and fond looking as Esca took a step into the room. “What the hell are you doing here?”

And just like that the stupid feelings that Esca had started to feel whenever he was in Aquila’s presence were pushed back by annoyance.

“My job,” he replied, taking a step further into the room. “What are you doing here?”

“My job.”

“Without back up? Didn’t realise you guys could do things by yourself. Seriously, Aquila, do you guys go to the bathroom together too? Hold each other’s-”

Esca’s words were cut off by the sound of a metal door opening and closing again with a loud bang, Esca turning and crouching in one smooth motion, seeing Aquila do the same thing behind him. The sound of voices floated up to them, and Esca didn’t need to look over to know that Bends and Crofts were already down checking the situation out.

Aquila had slowly made his way next to him, the two of them crouched down behind the door. Their bodies were so close that Esca couldn’t help but notice the clean, musk smell that was coming off the other man, the way his warmth made him want to lean into the man more.

The sound of feet hitting steps had him forgetting his ridiculous thoughts, his body tensing up, as he felt the rush of adrenaline spike through him as he readied for a fight.

“Two of them.”

“Big guys, Cunoval, and they’ve got toys with them too.”

Looking over at Aquila, he held up two fingers, not missing the frown that crossed the man’s face before he nodded.

“… can’t believe the old man is sending us here to pick up some papers that are probably useless anyway. And then telling us to dispose of the body. That’s the whole reason we pick these places, so we don’t have to do the clean-up.”

“The Old Man’s worried, now that his kid’s back out on the beat. Thinks he’s going to start putting things together.”

“And? What, the kid’s going to snitch on us?”

“He is a copper.”

“He’s family. And family always comes first, even for the kid.”

“I think it used to, back before, but now … It was one of us that shot him, Aran, think that might have shook some of the loyalty out of him. I know it would’ve if it was me.”

Esca frowned as the words got louder, as more pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. The ring was definitely being run by one of the gangs and they were worried now that someone, a cop, who clearly had ties to them, had been put on the case.

His thoughts focused back on the situation at hand when the door was pushed open further, his heart racing as he saw the shadows of the two men. Bends and Crofts had been right, the two guys were massive, maybe even bigger than Aquila, which was saying something.

Aquila’s eyes met his for a second, before they both moved, Aquila taking the man on the right whilst Esca took the one on the left. They had the element of surprise, which worked for them, but these two clearly weren’t the usual low on the chain thugs that Esca had been thinking they were, because they soon started fighting back.

Focusing on dodging the big fist headed his way, Esca used his size and speed to hit the other man, but dodged the hits headed his way. It was one of the reasons why he had been one of the Brigantes best fighters, able to use his opponents strengths against them.

It didn’t take him long to take the other man down, jumping on the man and twisting his arm up behind his back in a hold that he knew the other man could tell would break his arm if he struggled too hard. Looking up, Esca wasn’t surprised to see Aquila had taken the other man down also, although his man had clearly been knocked out by something.

“Aquila?”

Esca twisted the man’s arm a little more, frowning down at the man below him, as he recognised surprise, shock and recognition in the man’s voice. His eyes flicked back up to the Detective and he was surprised to see a blank mask looking back at him. Aquila was usually easy to read, like a big puppy, all clumsy grace and grinning most of the time. But in that moment, Esca couldn’t help but wonder if that was all a mask to the guard dog underneath.

Pushing the man’s head into the ground, it was then Esca noticed the tattoo on the man’s arm, a nine surrounded by an eagle.

Esca hadn’t been involved with the Ninth Gang before, but he knew enough about them to recognise their tattoo when he saw one. The more intricate the design, the higher up the person was. The man under him only had a very basic design.

“You going to rat me out, Aquila? Huh, you traitor to the eag-”

Whatever else he had been going to say was lost when Esca slammed his head into the floor, grim satisfaction running through him as the man went limp underneath him, although his chest was still rising and falling telling Esca that he hadn’t done it too hard.

“We should go, Cunoval,” Aquila said, standing up and moving towards the door.

“Shouldn’t we search them?” Esca replied, not missing the stiff movements the other man was making. “You know _investigate_?”

Aquila looked down at him for a moment, a number of emotions crossing his face, before he shook his head.

“You already know who they are, don’t you?” Esca asked, standing up from where he had been sitting on the other man. “And he sure as fuck seemed to know you. So why don’t you tell me what the hell is going on here?”

“Jack doesn’t look like a crook.”

“He’s too … clean. Sure he’s big enough, but … I mean look at him.”

Esca had to agree with the two ghosts who had appeared near the door in front of where Aquila stood. He had seen crooked cops during his life, and Aquila didn’t fit the bill at all.

“We can’t discuss this here,” Aquila responded, looking away from Esca, shadows falling onto his face and making it even more difficult for Esca to read anything.

“Fine,” Esca bit out, striding past the man, making sure to bump him as he did, before he headed across the balcony and down the stairs.

“He’s following you.”

“Looks like someone kicked his puppy too … and he’s not only upset but pissed about it. Kind of sad rage, if that’s a look.”

“I think it’s more angry unhappiness.”

“I think he’s upset cos Cunoval’s angry at him, and he wants-”

“Shut up,” Esca hissed quietly, hoping Aquila couldn’t hear him, glaring at the two men as he made his way outside. He spun around as soon as the cool, night air hit him, glaring at the other man as he made his way to stand next to him.

“Well?” he asked, throwing his arms out to the side.

“Not here,” Aquila repeated.

“Where then?”

“Come on.”

 

Where, turned out to be a little hole in the wall diner that Esca had gone to a lot when he was younger, he was surprised that Aquila even knew the place, although Esca was starting to realise that the image he had of Aquila in his head may not be true to life.

Bends and Crofts were both examining the man up close, Esca trying to ignore the way they both were staring at the man from up close and the way it made his fingers twitch, the way his hands wanted to curl into fists and make them back off.

“Well?” Esca asked again. “We’re somewhere else now. So why don’t you tell me why I’m not heading to the first cop shop and dobbing you in? Last time I checked they weren’t big fans of crooked cops.”

His words had Aquila paling, the man drawing away as if Esca had punched him, hurt and resignation written all over his face. He looked completely different from the man that had appeared in the warehouse, looking like the man that Esca had thought he was.

“I’m not like that, I never would be,” he replied quietly, looking down at his massive fists, Esca noticing the dark smudge he’d seen back at the Gallant crime scene, although there was no shadow to account for it now.

“He looks like he’s telling the truth.”

“Bends would know, he had a skill for these kinds of things.”

“And if I couldn’t tell, then I’d move onto more fun ways to make people tell the truth.”

“Those were good times.”

“I know those guys because I … when I was younger I mean … I was involved in things that weren’t exactly legal,” Aquila continued, making it easier for Esca to ignore the ghostly conversation going on above Aquila’s head.

“’Weren’t exactly legal’?” Esca parroted, leaning back against the booth and crossing his arms.

“Fights, mainly, underground fighting, and I was good at it,” Aquila continued, still looking down at his hands, his right thumb rubbing over his left hand.

The pieces started to fall together. Of course the Ninth gang would start to get nervous if Aquila was on the case, the Detective was one of the good ones who would no doubt be able to put the pieces together, especially given he had been _part_ of a similar ring they’d run before.

If Aquila wasn’t dirty that was. Esca’s gut was telling him Aquila wasn’t, and his gut was something he’d learned to trust a long time ago.

“But on my eighteenth birthday, everything changed. My parents were murdered, the people who killed them were never found, and I knew I wanted to be a cop. I wanted to stop anyone from going through the kind of pain I had, have, knowing my parent’s killer had walked free.”

“So you left and became a cop? Just like that?” Esca asked. He knew how gangs worked, and people didn’t usually just get to walk away from them.

“My Uncle was disappointed, but he loves me, and he’d been doing everything legit from what I could see,” Aquila replied. “Up until now, anyway.”

“Your Uncle?” Esca asked, before everything came to a grinding halt.

It had been a long time ago, but he remembered reading some latin book after his father had said something in latin that he wanted to figure out. During his research he had noticed the name Aquila and thought it was cool that it meant eagle.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding,” Esca continued, staring at the man across from in shock, not missing the, and damn the man for it, attractive blush that crossed the man’s cheeks. “You’re the son of the boss aren’t you?”

“Nephew,” Aquila answered, pulling up his left sleeve to reveal a tattoo on his forearm down onto his hand. Esca couldn’t help but reach out, fingers tracing over the intricate design, eyes unable to stray from the eagle.

“Well … didn’t see that one coming, did we Bends?” Crofts murmured, Esca seeing something like respect in the ghost’s eyes where they rested on Aquila

“Are you in on this?” Esca whispered, eyes meeting wide green ones.

“No, how can you … I would never dishonour my pledge like that, never,” he replied vehemently, shaking his head, hands curling into fists. “I would never dishonour my parents name like that.”

“He knows who though. As high up as he is, even after all these years he’d know who is organising this, or at least where to find them,” Bends said.

“But you know who is doing this, you know where to find them?”

Esca could see the answer even before Aquila opened his mouth, his hand clamping down on Aquila’s arm, narrowing his eyes as he also saw that Aquila was about to lie to him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Aquila replied, his other hand falling onto Esca’s, thumb rubbing across it almost absentmindedly. Esca ignored the shivers that ran through him.

“Tell me, Aquila.”

“The fights I was a part of were all organised by a man called Claudius Marcellus,” Marcus muttered, hunching his shoulders.

“But you won’t be able to get anywhere near him,” he continued louder. “He and my Uncle are almost impossible to get to. It’s why they’ve been around as long as they have. And there’s nothing so far to link to them.”

Snorting, Esca pulled his hand away from Marcus’s arm, angry that he had left it there for so long, and yet hating that he wanted to keep it there once he had removed it.

“What about the tattoos?” Esca asked, leaning forward. “The fact that they’ve done this before-”

“They were never caught, Esca!” Marcus hissed. “If they had been, then I would’ve been as well and there was no way I could’ve even applied to become a cop, let alone a detective. There’s nothing, trust me on this, if there was I’d be the first one to go there and bring them in. And my Uncle knows that.”

“Those guys said …”

“That I would put it together, not that there was anything there that was incriminating,” Marcus answered, rubbing a massive hand over his face. “Trust me, Esca, there’s nothing you can do.”

“Oh, yeah? Watch me,” Esca replied, sliding off the bench and stalking out of the diner.

 

In retrospect, Esca really shouldn’t have tried breaking into Claudius Marcellus’s place without back up. Well, back up that wasn’t on the ghostly plane.

Crofts and Bends had helped him track Claudius down, tagging along with various Ninth gang members, slowly gathering information until they got an address, which led them to a building that Claudius apparently used as his base of operations.

Esca had gotten inside and seen bits and pieces which confirmed that the man was running the underground ring, but nothing concrete, nothing that could be used as evidence. Unfortunately, as he’d been searching the office, the silent alarm that he’d tripped had alerted the Ninth that he was there, and they were waiting for him when he exited the building.

Which is how Esca found himself waking up in what looked like a cage, underground if the damp smell was anything to go by, and the aches over his body reminding him how he had gotten there. And, because he hadn’t thought to bring actual back up, no one would now he was here, that he was missing. So no one would be looking for him.

“How are you feeling, Mister Cunoval?”

The quiet voice came out of the darkness to his right, Esca straining his eyes to see who had made it. The voice was low and sounded more sophisticated than any of the other gangsters Esca had met, he wondered if this was Claudius.

The low voice chuckled, as Esca saw a man moving out from the shadows. He was older than what his voice sounded, his white hair neatly cut and groomed away from his face, his bright blue eyes taking in Esca, small smile tugging on his lips.

This wasn’t Claudius.

“Are you going to kill me?” Esca asked, leaning back against the cage, arms resting on his bent knees.

“My dear boy,” the man replied, shaking his head. “What would be the purpose of _me_ killing you? I am not a barbarian.”

“Who are you?” Esca asked, knowing that the man probably wouldn’t tell him, but knowing an opening when he saw one.

“You haven’t figured it out yet?” the old man replied, smile widening. The smile looked familiar, looked like something that he had-

Eyes widening, Esca stood up, heart racing, as he realised who it was he was actually looking at.

“You’re going to make me fight.”

“Perhaps,” the old man, Marcus’s Uncle, Esca now realised, replied. “Although I’m hoping we’ll have someone who is far more experienced who’ll fight for you.”

“Someone who is …” Esca trailed off as the words ran through his head again. “You want Marcus to come after me?”

The man chuckled again, looking almost proud at the words Esca had said.

“I can see why my nephew likes you.”

Esca ignored the way the words had warmth spreading through his chest, sure that the old man knew nothing about Marcus’s feelings.

“He doesn’t even know I’m here,” Esca replied, ignoring his heart racing, hoping that Marcus had no idea he was here, that the fool wouldn’t try to save him again, the memory of Marcus jumping in front of a bullet for him coming to mind.

“He always was good at putting things together,” the old man continued. “I have no doubt he’ll figure this out.”

“And if he does, I’m sure he and his cop buddies will have a great time telling you about it when they put handcuffs on you,” Esca replied, hands curling into fists.

Aquila just chuckled again, eyes sparkling as he looked at Esca, before he moved away.

“I suggest you get some sleep, Mister Cunoval. If you do need to fight, you’ll need all the energy you can get.”

Esca glared at his back as the old man left, knowing that he wasn’t likely to get any sleep. Sliding down the wall, he leaned his head back against it, closing his eyes and trying to get as relaxed as he could, ignoring the images of the victims that flashed behind his eyelids.

He wasn’t like those kids, he knew how to fight, knew how the gangs liked to fight. Coming from the Brigantes he had an advantage. He just had to remember that, remember that he could fight whoever it was that they had him up against.

He was surprised when he jolted awake at the sound of the door opening, wondering how he had managed to actually sleep.

“Let’s go, kid.”

He was roughly pulled up by two men, who were bigger than Marcus, and marched out of the room.

“Use your size and your speed,” Bends said, as they walked down the narrow hallway, the two ghosts walking just in front of him. “Get in your hit and then dodge out of the way.”

“I have done this before,” Esca hissed, glaring at the two ghosts, ignoring the strange look he got from the two goons holding him. “This isn’t my first fight.”

“It’s your first like this, kid,” Crofts replied. “There’s a huge difference between fighting on the streets and fighting like this. And the guy you’ll be fighting will be fighting for his life as well, probably the one who finished those kids we found. Which included weapons in case you’ve forgotten.”

“Thank you, Crofts,” Esca muttered. “That’s exactly the kind of image I needed right now.”

“Better to be prepared, Cunoval. Remember move in quick and then away even quicker.”

Esca shot him a glare before walking into the room, swallowing a little hard when he saw the three men standing in there, along with a chair next to a table with a covered dish on it.

“Didn’t realise dinner was on the menu,” he joked, holding his head high. He might be going to his death soon, but never let it be said that the Brigantes didn’t laugh in the face of death.

“It’s your initiation, kid,” one of the gruff men said, grabbing him and leading him over to the chair. Esca thought about fighting them for a few seconds, before deciding his best chance was to gather information and then make a break for it.

It wasn’t until he was sitting down, the other two men coming up to stand on either side of him, that the first gruff man uncovered the tray. It was then Esca realised what they meant by initiation. The men were clearly here to put the eagle tattoo on his left hand.

“You ever had a tattoo, kid?” one of the men asked, smirk showing his missing teeth. Esca simply gave him an unimpressed look, looking at the man for a long moment, before looking down at the tattoo that could be seen poking out from under his t-shirt.

“Brigante,” the other man said, pulling up the shirt and running a finger over the tattoo. It took all of Esca’s strength not to lash out at the man, feeling his arm clench at the pudgy finger running over the mark of his father’s gang.

“You’ll fit right in,” the first one finished, grinning at him again before turning to the man near the tray.

“You could’ve told us he was Brigante,” the one with the tools said, Esca looking up as the man he’d been looking for, Claudius, walked out of the shadows.

“Mister Cunoval has many hidden talents,” the old man replied, as he walked further into the room. Looking at him, you wouldn’t think the man was the mastermind behind the fights, looking more like a kindly old grandfather than anything, but Esca knew better, the images of the other men flashing before him again.

The one with the tool shrugged, reaching out and moving Esca’s hand into the position he wanted, only to stop when a loud bang sounded followed by yelling outside their room, before the door was thrown open.

“I don’t believe it, it’s the Jack,” Bends muttered.

Looking up from where the man was holding onto his hand tightly, Esca couldn’t help but catch his breath as he saw the familiar figure standing in the door way. Even with the man in shadows, he could tell that it was the Detective.

And he could also tell that the stupid, idiotic fool had come alone.

“Ahh, Marcus, I’m so glad you could join us,” Claudius said, smiling at Marcus as if it was simply some dinner party they were at. As if the older man wasn’t trying to tattoo Esca and make him fight to death in an underground fighting ring.

“Claudius,” Marcus replied, walking into the room, dangerous look on his face that Esca had seen back at the warehouse.

“We were just about to initiate young Esca here into our … club. You remember what that was like, don’t you, Marcus?”

The low growl that came from Marcus had the hairs on Esca’s neck standing up, his heart racing a little at the noise, want rushing through him, before he reminded himself that now wasn’t time for those thoughts. He saw the look that passed between the two men, and wondered what kind of conversation they were having.

“What is this about, Claudius?” Marcus asked, the dangerous look falling away from his face, leaving behind the weary detective that still managed to pull at Esca’s heart.

“Your Uncle wants what he’s always wanted, Marcus,” Claudius replied, shaking his head slightly. “Come home. We’ve let you do what you needed to. But it’s time you came back to the family business.”

“You know I can’t,” Marcus bit out, Esca able to tell his teeth were clenched by the way his jaw tightened. Claudius sighed, shaking his head, before turning back to Esca.

“Then I guess young Mister Cunoval here will suffice for the fight.”

The three men moved quickly, two holding him down so quickly and efficiently that he didn’t even have the chance to fight, and the other picked up the instrument that would start the tattoo on Esca’s hand. One of the big thugs moved so that he was holding Esca’s hand against the arm of the chair, Esca clenching his fist, unable to stop the way his heart was racing, as the other man grabbed his hand straightening it out and putting the needle to his skin-

“Stop!”

Everyone in the room turned to look at Marcus, Esca watching as his large fists clenched and unclenched, a stubborn look crossing his face, a look Esca had seen once before, when the idiot had jumped in front of a bullet for him.

“I’ll do it,” Marcus said, glaring at Claudius.

“Do what, Marcus?”

“I’ll take his place,” Marcus replied, taking a step further into the room. “You want a good show, right? That’s why you haven’t been using junkies and crims. Who better than me? Even I could sell the damn show, Claudius.”

“You want to fight in his place?” Claudius asked, and even Esca could see the excitement in the man’s face.

“I’ll last longer than the ones you kidnapped right?” Marcus shot back, and Esca could sense something else going on here, something that he couldn’t quite figure out. “I mean they couldn’t have lasted that long right?”

“They weren’t up to your standards, that’s for sure,” Claudius agreed, shaking his head as if the poor kids he’d grabbed had disappointed him by not being able to fight well.

“What did you expect when you drugged and kidnapped them?” Marcus replied, walking further into the room.

“A little better than what we got,” Claudius answered.

“There you go then,” Marcus continued. “Let Esca go and I’ll fight in his place.”

“Oh, I think Mister Cunoval will be one of our honoured guests,” Claudius said, his hand falling on Esca’s shoulder and squeezing hard. “To ensure you keep to your end of the bargain.”

“Gentleman,” he continued, stepping away from Esca. “Let’s leave Marcus and his friend for a few moments.”

“But the tattoo,” one of the men started, only to stop when Claudius turned back and glared at him.

“Marcus already has an eagle.”

With those words he left the room, the men following behind them, Marcus glaring at them all as they walked past.

“Please tell me you weren’t stupid enough to come alone,” Esca hissed, glaring as Marcus shuffled forward, once again the big, lovable oaf that he knew.

“Did they hurt you?” he asked, ignoring Esca’s question.

“I’m fine,” Esca replied, knocking away the hand that was reaching out towards him. “You did come alone, didn’t you?”

“It’ll be fine, Esca,” Marcus replied, running a hand over his face.

“You do remember what happened to the other victims, right?” Esca asked, standing up and moving into the other man’s personal space. “That the other guy gets some kind of weapon?”

“This isn’t my first time doing this, Esca,” Marcus replied, stepping even closer, his eyes flashing.

“But it’s different this time.”

“Why? Because you care about me?”

“What … I don’t … No!” Esca replied, taking a step back. “No, I don’t care!”

“Liar,” Crofts said, appearing behind Marcus, Esca sending him a withering glare, before being distracted by the smile that was spreading across Marcus’s face.

“You definitely care for the Jack,” Bends added, appearing on the Marcus’s other side.

“I don’t,” Esca started to answer the ghostly gangsters, before shaking his head. “You haven’t fought in years, and you’re a cop. That’s what makes it different. Not because of … what you said.”

Marcus simply continued grinning at him, looking like some kind of dopey Labrador puppy, which Esca did not find cute. At all.

“It’s time.”

Esca turned and saw one of the goons standing in the door way, the man smirking as he held the door open. Before Esca could say anything, his face was turned, and soft lips were covering his, moving gently in a chaste kiss, before Marcus was moving away from him, not even giving him the chance to respond.

 

Esca had always known Marcus was big, big shoulders, big hands, big body, but he’d never really realised just how dangerous the other man was because of it. Not until now, watching him as he danced around the ring.

The other man he was fighting was the reigning champion, according to the guys around him, and Esca wasn’t surprised when he recognised him as one of the men who had gone missing after visiting Hadrian’s Bar. Because he was the champion, he got to choose a weapon, Esca clenching his fists as he saw the man pick up knuckle dusters, grinning viciously at Marcus as he did.

Marcus hadn’t seemed phased in the slightest, small smirk on his face as he looked back at the man before looking up into the crowd. Esca had risked a quick look around the ring, wondering if Marcus was smirking at someone in particular, and had been surprised when he saw Marcus’s Uncle watching from a balcony, the smirk Marcus had on his face echoed on the old man’s.

And that had been when the champion had made his move, diving for Marcus, fist flying, and Marcus fought back. Esca had heard how boxing was like dancing in a ring before, but he had never really appreciated it until now, as he watched Marcus. Marcus was good, dodging the flying fists the champion was throwing at him and landing his own.

“See, you can see the Jack is a proper fighter, while the so called champion, isn’t,” Bends said, Esca seeing him ducking and weaving along with Marcus out the corner of his eye.

“The champ clearly only won cos of his size and the impact of his fists,” Crofts continued, Esca listening with one ear, the rest of his senses honed on the fight. “But up against someone who actually knows how to fight, and who matches him in size, he can’t really compete.”

Esca winced as the other man managed to land a punch with the knuckle dusters, Marcus’s head snapping to the side, blood dribbling from the cut that had opened up above his eyebrow. The champ managed to land another blow to Marcus’s ribs, before Marcus hit him with a one-two punch that had him staggering around the ring.

“Ooh, he’s done for now, the Jack just needs one more hit and the man will go down,” Bends said, Esca watching as Marcus did just that, the champ falling to the ground, Marcus standing above him. Esca couldn’t help but stare a little at the other man, a flutter settling in his stomach, as his eyes raked over the sweaty chest, the man’s swollen lips, the hard look in his eyes, looking dangerous with the blood running down his face.

“Get down, Cunoval.”

Looking at Bends, Esca looked around the warehouse, before turning back to the ghost.

“What the hell are you talking about, Bends?” Esca hissed.

“The Calvary is here,” Crofts replied, before everything exploded.

Esca dove for a safe place as the warehouse was filled with light, coppers pouring in through almost every entrance, and the people around him erupting into chaos as they made a run for it. He tensed when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, instincts making him lash out, his fist being caught in a hand, a quiet voice murmuring in his ear.

“Calm down, Esca.”

He relaxed a little as Marcus’s voice washed over him, muscles unwinding as he leaned back into the warmth behind him, as he took in the people being taken down around him. He was shocked at the way the coppers actually seemed to be handling the take down, quickly and efficiently. The first time Esca had seen them doing something competently.

“Come on.”

He wasn’t sure why he just followed Marcus out of the warehouse, was shocked that no one was stopping them, before he realised that Marcus hadn’t come alone and that the man was a detective.

“You set this all up,” Esca said, turning and facing the man once they were out of the warehouse and down one of the alleys. Marcus snorted, leaning back against a wall with his arms crossed. Esca forced his eyes to stay on the man’s face, and not on the chest behind the arms.

“There are some of us who know who to do our jobs, Esca,” Marcus replied, sending a small grin his way. Esca felt his lips twitch, before forcing himself to frown.

“I know you do,” Esca answered.

Marcus’s grin turned into a more genuine smile, as he pushed away from the wall and moved over to where Esca was standing.

“I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you give me a compliment,” Marcus said, as he moved closer, Esca ignoring the way his heart sped up a little.

“Don’t get used to it,” Esca replied, tearing his eyes away when he realised he’d been staring at Marcus’s chest. Marcus simply continued to smile at him, moving so that they were almost touching.

“So we got them then?” Esca continued, raising an eyebrow at Marcus as he leaned back against the alley wall.

“Some of them,” Marcus replied, smile falling from his face for a moment. “It’s hard to get everyone in cases like this. But we should get Claudius. Thanks in part to you.”

“Would you look at that, Crofts? Our boy all grown up and being hit on by a Jack.”

"It was only yesterday I remember him going on about how much he hated them.”

“And how much he hated Aquila in particular.”

“Couldn’t understand how someone that stupid was meant to protect us and solve crimes.”

Esca only just managed to stop himself from sending their two ghostly companions a glare, knowing that from how close he was, Marcus wouldn’t miss it. And he didn’t want to get _into_ that conversation yet.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Marcus said, leaning closer.

“Aquila!”

Esca cursed under his breath as Marcus turned his head, turning to glare at Detective Lutorius.

“Chief wants to speak to you,” Lutorius continued, sending them both an apologetic look, before leaving. Marcus turned back to Esca, gave him a small shrug before starting to move away. Reaching out, Esca swung him back around, only seeing Marcus’s shocked face for a second before he leaned forward and kissed the other man.

Where the other kiss had been gentle and almost chaste, this one was hard and passionate, Esca using Marcus’s shocked gasp to sweep his tongue into Marcus’s mouth, as he pushed against the hard chest, arching his back to get his body closer. He smirked when he heard the small moan Marcus gave, the way the other man’s hands fell to his hips.

Pulling away, Esca took a step back, leaning back against the wall again, letting a small smirk cross his face when Marcus turned shocked eyes onto him.

“Don’t you have a Chief to report to?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and trying to look unfazed. Marcus stared at him with an open mouth for a moment, before snapping it shut, smile crossing his face as he started to walk backwards.

“I do,” he said. “And after that I’ll take you out for dinner.”

“What makes you think I’m going to go out to dinner with you?”

“Because I know you’re dying to know how the case is going to end.”

“I have my ways of finding out,” Esca replied, eyes flicking to where Crofts and Bends were playing a game of cards.

“And because you care about me. The kiss just proved it.” And with that he winked at Esca, disappearing around the corner before Esca could give a response.

“I don’t think you need our help anymore tonight, Cunoval.”

“Nope, we might just head on down to the races.”

“Or the dogs.”

“Or anywhere that doesn’t involve witnessing you thanking the Jack properly for saving your life. Again.”

Esca watched them disappear, leaning against the wall for a few more moments, before rolling his eyes and heading after Marcus.

**END**

 

****


End file.
